Visions
by ice-firefly
Summary: Something's wrong with Ban. Something that even he can't handle. Why then is he refusing help? Can you solve the mystery before I finish the story? 3 CHAPTERS UP!
1. Chapter 1: Trust

Hello everyone!! This is my first attempt at a GB fanfic... I hope you can help me out...I'm not really a Get Backer expert, I just love Ginji-kun. At any rate, you might notice as you go along that there aren't many Japanese words used in this fic...that's coz I don't know any...'  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Get Backers. That's why this is called a **fan**fiction. I'm just a **fan**.  
  
ehem Here's a legend...:  
  
... = text enclosed in asterisks () are weird sounds.. ()  
  
"..." = text enclosed in quotation marks (") are dialogue (for love of the obvious....--)  
  
'...' = text enclosed in apostrophes (') are thoughts  
  
(...) = text enclosed in parentheses (..uhh..do I really need to show you what parentheses are?) are my in-story comments...  
  
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**Chapter 1: Trust**  
  
Ban wiped the sweat under his chin with the back of his hand. His heavy breathing was the only sound that disturbed the silence of the night. Despite the cool breeze that blew in from the car's open window, his body was drenched in sweat. His eyes searched the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. He looked at his partner who was sleeping soundly. Only then did his heartbeat return to its normal pace.  
  
"Dammit, not again..." He muttered, going back to sleep.  
  
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"Stayed up late?" Paul asked as he served coffee to his resident retrieval agents.  
  
It was more of a comment than a question. Ban had dark circles underneath his eyes and could've passed as dead in terms of enthusiasm. His body was slouched over the counter and his hand seemed to be the only thing that was holding his head up.  
  
"Shut up..." he retorted, pushing his breakfast towards his irritably sunnier-than-sunshine partner who happily helped himself to the extra meal.  
  
"Oooh, how touchy. I wonder what kept my favorite Get Backer up last night?" Hevn teased, taking a sip of her coffee.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?!"  
  
Ban drank his in one gulp then sat up straight.  
  
"Ban-chan, is.....something...wrong?" Ginji asked in between bites.  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full.. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well" Ginji began, pausing to swallow his food,  
  
"You haven't been sleeping well lately.." After a moment's hesitation he added,  
  
"And this is the fifth day in a row that you let me eat your food..."  
  
The second one earned a couple of raised eyebrows.  
  
"Mind your own business! You should be thankful you get to eat more."  
  
"B-but Ban-chan--"  
  
"Shut up and eat!" Ban snapped. He turned to face Hevn to keep Ginji from saying anymore.  
  
"Don't you have a job for us?" He asked, a bit rudely.  
  
"...hmm...I did but... I don't think you could handle it in your present condition..." Hevn answered, not missing Ban's evasion of the sleep topic.  
  
For some reason, Ban doesn't want to reveal why he doesn't get enough sleep. And if it was enough to embarrass Mido Ban, it was worth sticking her nose into. She looked at Paul and a smile spread across her face. It seems she could enlist Paul's help on this one. Things were about to get interesting...  
  
"What the hell do you mean 'my condition'?"  
  
"I mean you'll probably just mess it up. Look at you! You can barely hold yourself upright for more than three minutes!"  
  
It was only then that Ban realized he was slouching again. Damn! If he were sitting at the booth he could at least lean back. Then he wouldn't look so pathetic.  
  
Hevn watched the play of emotions in Ban's face. She decided to go for it.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure Shido could help Ginji on this mission while you get some sleep." She suggested sweetly, making sure she said the Beast Master's name loud enough for anyone to hear.  
  
"HELL NO!! You're not giving **my** job to that monkey-trainer!!!"  
  
"Well I'd be damned if I'd risk losing a client just because you have insomnia!" Hevn shot back.  
  
_'That's my cue.'_  
  
"I'm sure Ban would be back in top shape after he gets some sleep. Why don't you give him the job then?" Paul offered, hoping his on-the-spot acting wasn't as obvious as it sounded.  
  
_'Ban must be really out of whack if he can't see all the wink-winks Hevn is doing.'_ He thought as he watched from the top of his newspaper.  
  
_'Damn! Why do they keep on saying 'sleep'? It's making me sleepier...'_ Ban thought irritably as he tried to think of a way to convince their agent.  
  
"That's a wonderful idea! Why don't you go on ahead and sleep, Ban?" Hevn announced spectacularly "I'll wait for you here."  
  
_'She's overdoing it.'_  
  
"Ok, what are you two up to?" Ban demanded, finally noticing.  
  
That was it. Paul, having more sense, let it go and went back to his paper. Hevn, however, wasn't about to give up...  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.  
  
"You damn well know what I'm talking about! Now, what do you want?"  
  
"Since you asked ever so nicely..." Hevn started, a sly smile on her face.  
  
"I want to know the cause of your sleeplessness."  
  
"Tch! I should've known. Well, it's none of your business!!"  
  
"It is my business!! I'm your agent, I have the right to know what's been keeping you from doing your job properly!"  
  
Paul stared at the two. He almost applauded Hevn's performance. She sounded as if she was genuinely hurt.  
  
"Agent my butt! You just want to know so you can poke me about it later!!"  
  
Ban was stubborn as a mule but Hevn still had a few tricks up her sleeve. She decided to drop the concerned agent act.  
  
"So what if I do?" She stated calmly, pausing for a while before she delivered the final blow.  
  
"But I won't give you any more jobs until you tell me. It's near impossible for you to get jobs on your own and you know it!" She declared triumphantly.  
  
"Ms. Hevn!" Ginji cried, dropping his chopsticks. He tried not to meddle before because he knew things would only get messier but no job for Ban meant no job for him, too. He looked at his partner, hoping Ban wouldn't be so stubborn.  
  
Ban glared at Hevn, refusing to give in to her blackmail. After what seemed to be an eternity, he sighed, a resigned look on his face.  
  
"Fine!" He muttered, but before Hevn could jump for joy, he said,  
  
"We'll look for our own jobs from now on."  
  
The other three stared at him in shocked silence.  
  
"B-Ban-chan..."  
  
"Let's go, Ginji!" He barked, walking out the door.  
  
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"Ban-chan..." Ginji began once they were in the car.  
  
"Shut up! I don't want to hear anything from you!" Ban snapped, shifting gears.  
  
Ginji was going to say something but decided not to after seeing his partner's stony expression. Instead, he looked out the window, staring blindly at the passing scenery.  
  
Ban didn't even have to look at his partner. He knew Ginji was hurt by his refusal to tell him what was wrong. He just couldn't trust anyone with something like this...not even his own partner. He couldn't.... He can't... He just can't....  
  
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Wow, that was long. Well, what do you think? ...R&R please...thanks for reading...Please do read the next chapter... 


	2. Chapter 2: Betrayal

Nihao! Thanks everyone for the reviews...and for reading, too. Sorry I took so long to update. Well, not too long, actually. It was only a week.... right?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Get Backers. That's why this is called a **fan**fiction. I'm just a **fan**.  
  
ehem Here's a legend...:  
  
... = text enclosed in asterisks () are weird sounds.. ()  
  
"..." = text enclosed in quotation marks (") are dialogue (for love of the obvious....--)  
  
'...' = text enclosed in apostrophes (') are thoughts  
  
(...) = text enclosed in parentheses (..uhh..do I really need to show you what parentheses are?) are my in-story comments...  
  
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**Chapter 2: Betrayal**  
  
"Taking a break from stalking Lady Poison?" Akabane asked, emerging from the shadows.  
  
"As a matter of fact..." Kagami replied, not at all surprised. His white suit clashed with the darkness of the night as he stood on the rooftop, looking down at the Honky Tonk.  
  
"May I ask why?"  
  
"I have something more interesting to observe at the moment."  
  
"I see. So you sense it, too.... Or is this one of your plots?" The transporter queried, eyes glinting with interest as he watched the Get Backers leave the cafe.  
  
"My plot?" The blonde man asked with an innocent smile.  
  
"I'm just here to observe." He finished, turning to face Akabane.  
  
"Another god of Infinity City is behind this, then?"  
  
A hint of mystery touched Kagami's smile. He would have a lot to observe.  
  
"Don't expect me to spoon feed you, Dr. Jackal." He answered, looking the other man straight in the eye.  
  
"Of course not. It would be more fun to find out for myself."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I have a job to cancel."  
  
Akabane bowed his head slightly then disappeared once again into the shadows. With a last look at the starless sky, Kagami, too, vanished, leaving a trace of Diamond Dust.  
  
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"I should've known I couldn't trust you!!" Ban snarled, grabbing his now- chibi partner by the hair and lifting him from the ground. Teary-eyed, the blonde tried once again to explain to his enraged comrade.  
  
"B-Ban-chan, I just thought...that...t-they could help y-"  
  
"Help me?! HELP ME?!? You thought monkey-man would help **me**?!"  
  
"P-Please s-stop sh-sh-shout-t-ting, B-B-Ba-Ban-cha-an..." Ginji pleaded as he tried to wriggle free from Ban's grip.  
  
"I'll shout whenever I want to! And you deserve it you traitor!!"  
  
Ginji has gotten used to being abused by now. Unfortunately, he has yet to learn that trying to reason with his partner at this point would only lead to more pain...so he tried.  
  
"...B-but...Ban..ack...chan...I..just...ugh...you..B-Ban-chan..don't..Ban- cha-an! Ban-chan!! BAN-CHAAAAAAAaaaann!!"  
  
Ginji's voice was lost in the wind as he flew over the rooftops after being hurled in the air by his livid partner.  
  
"Tch! Now I have to go look for him...this is all his fault!" Ban muttered as he watched his partner disappear over the horizon. He started walking towards where Ginji had disappeared to, recalling the events that greeted him that morning...  
  
**###FLASHBACK  
**  
_"Dammit!" Ban swore as he walked towards the Honky Tonk Cafe.  
  
He woke up late after another restless night. Ginji thought he needed the rest and decided to let him sleep.  
  
"Oi Ginji! Why the hell didn't you wake me up?!" He demanded as he entered the cafe.  
  
He was surprised to see seven people staring back at him. They were Hevn, Himiko, Shido, Kazuki, Paul, Ginji and, surprisingly, Emishi. It took him a moment to notice the tension triggered by his sudden arrival. They must've talking about him.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Emishi stood up to face Ban. He bowed his head slightly and pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, as if in deep thought.  
  
"Ban," he began, his expression unreadable.  
  
Ban held his breath. Something was going on. He could see everyone was tense.  
  
'What in the world is going on?!'  
  
"Did you have a nice dream?" Emishi finished, followed by a chorus of laughter.  
  
"Huh? What are you--" Ban's voice trailed off as he realized the full meaning of the Joker's words. Ginji had betrayed him. He was speechless with anger. But then, he had somehow expected this when he decided to trust his partner.  
  
"I'll give you a point for that one, Emishi!"  
  
"Thank you, thank you." Replied the comedian, giving everyone dramatic bows.  
  
"Awww...Poor Little Bannie Wannie's having bad dweams?" Hevn teased, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.  
  
"Ms. Hevn, you're being mean..." Kazuki scolded lightly, though it was obvious he was trying to suppress his laughter.  
  
"GINJI YOU IDIOT!!!"  
_  
**###END FLASHBACK**  
  
"Damn him! It's a good thing I didn't tell him everything!!" Ban muttered, clenching his fists. Suddenly, he stopped walking. He'd been so busy with his thoughts that he didn't notice where he was going.  
  
"Dammit, where the hell is that--"  
  
He stopped in mid-sentence as he saw a familiar figure disappear around the corner.  
  
"Hey wait!" He called, running after him.  
  
He continued chasing after the man for several blocks. For some reason, every time he turns at a corner, the other was always disappearing around the next one.  
  
"Dammit! I said '**WAIT**'!!!"  
  
Finally, he caught up with him. Ban looked around and realized they were in some back alley. He paused a while to catch his breath before speaking.  
  
"Didn't you hear me, you idiot?! Are you deaf or someth--"  
  
Ban didn't finish his sentence as he was hit full blast with electricity. He felt his blood boil and his whole body went numb with pain. He fell flat on his back, his consciousness fading quickly.  
  
"...Gin...ji....w-why...?"  
  
He looked up and saw Raitei standing over him, eyes blazing in fury....then everything went black....  
  
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Getting a headache yet? ...sorry... I hope you still read the next chapter, though...Don't forget to review.. 


	3. Chapter 3: Warning

Hello! Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Sorry if the second chapter was confusing. I hope this next one would shed some light on things. Err...can you figure out why this chapter is entitled "Warning"? ...Well, read on and hopefully you'll find out....'  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Get Backers. That's why this is called a **fanfiction**. I'm just a **fan**.  
  
#ehem# Here's a legend...:  
  
"..." = text enclosed in quotation marks (") are dialogue (for love of the  
  
obvious....--)  
  
'...' = text enclosed in apostrophes (') are thoughts  
  
(...) = text enclosed in parentheses (..uhh..do I really need to show you what parentheses are?) are my in-story comments...  
  
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**Chapter 3: Warning  
**  
"Do you guys think we were a bit too hard on Ban?" The group asked as they walked back towards Infinity City.  
  
"Of course not! It's about time he got a taste of his own medicine." Himiko scoffed.  
  
"Yeah. Snake-man is probably just being haunted by his guilty conscience." Shido agreed, not at all regretting having humiliated Mido.  
  
"But...Aren't repeating dreams supposed to mean something?" Emishi cut in, uncharacteristically serious.  
  
"Whatever, Ban can handle himself. I wonder what happened to Ginji, though."  
  
As if on cue, they heard the former VOLTS leader's voice, calling out to his partner.  
  
"Ban-chan! Where are you hiding, Ban-chan? Please come out now. I'm hungry."  
  
Looking around, they spotted a chibi Ginji lying on his tummy in the middle of the sidewalk. The poor creature doesn't seem to notice the muffled exclamations of pedestrians walking over him.  
  
"Ginji!"  
  
The blonde Get Backer's head shot up upon hearing his name. He saw his friends and immediately perched himself on Kadsuki's shoulders.  
  
"Guys! I missed you! I was so scared...and hungry... and tired.. and... Where's Ban-chan?"  
  
"I thought he went looking for you? Haven't you seen him?"  
  
"No...Where did Ban-chan go?"  
  
"Never mind him. He can find his own way. I'm going back to--"  
  
"NO!" Ginji yelled all of a sudden, cutting Shido off. "Let's go look for him... I have a bad feeling..."  
  
"What's the matter?" Kadsuki asked, suddenly worried.  
  
"I...I don't know...But I think Ban-chan needs help...Please, let's go look for him...Please?"  
  
As it always has, Ginji's puppy-dog eyes melted Shido's resolve.  
  
"Stupid Snake-man! Alright, let's go." The Beast Master muttered, walking ahead.  
  
"Well, if Shido goes, I go..." Emishi answered with a shrug, following his partner.  
  
"Fine! I'll go, too." Himiko said, sounding annoyed but secretly worried herself.  
  
"Yey! You, too, Kadsuki-chan?" Ginji asked expectantly.  
  
"Of course, Ginji. I'll go, too." He answered with a smile.  
  
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"DAMMIT!" Ban swore as he recognized where he was. He was here again. The same place he went to every night, for a week now. His dream...His nightmare. It was exactly the same as it had been nights before. Like before, he seemed as though he were in someone else's body. He felt like he was watching a 3D movie wherein no one else sees or hears him. His heart pounded in his chest as he anticipated the scene that was about to greet him yet again.  
  
_Himiko was covered in blood, terror and disbelief frozen in her face. Her unseeing eyes were full of unshed tears. Her last scream never escaped her lips. She had been the first to go.  
  
Hevn's body was slumped on the floor, her face crushed beyond recognition. Her brave attempt to defend her friends and herself had clearly been in vain.  
  
Jubei received the most damage but lasted the longest among his comrades who fought. He died trying to protect his best friend, Kadsuki, whose hand reached out for his during the last moments of their lives.  
  
Shido fought valiantly in hopes of avenging his friends, only to meet his end mere minutes later. The last he saw of the world was Emishi's bloodied face. The Joker managed a weak smile before drifting off to eternal slumber.  
  
Ginji was the only one remaining, barely alive. He refused to fight but was shown no mercy. He lay at the feet of the monster that had murdered his friends in cold blood. He knew he didn't have long to live.  
  
Standing in the middle of the room, looking down at his last victim, was Mido Ban. Beside him was a girl with long, ebony-black hair, loosely held back by a comb. Her immaculately white kimono was unstained by the blood the covered everyone else in the room. She surveyed the room, visibly pleased by the massacre that had taken place. She then turned to the one responsible and said,  
  
"Well done, my dear. Now, please finish him off and let us take leave of this place."  
  
"As you wish." Ban replied, a cynic smile on his face.  
  
Without hesitation, he approached partner, hands poised for the final blow. Ginji looked up at him, eyes pleading.  
  
"B-Ban-cha...an...plea...se.."_  
  
"Ban-chan! Wake up! BAN-CHAN!! BAN-CHAN!! BAN-CHAN!! BAN-CHAN!! BAN- CHAN!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Ban opened his eyes and saw chibi Ginji on top of him. In the background he recognized the former VOLTS members and Himiko. He realized he was back in the alley where Ginji—no Raitei attacked him.  
  
"Bam-chan, you're awake!" Ginji squealed in delight. Immediately, he performed a fan dance to celebrate the safety of his partner. Before he could finish, though, he was grabbed by an angry Ban.  
  
"What're you trying to do? Kill me?!" Ban bellowed.  
  
"B-But Ban-chan...I was only dancing because you were--"  
  
"Not that you idiot! Why the hell did you attack me?!?"  
  
"A-attack? B-B-But, Ban-chan, I would never--"  
  
"Ban, are you sure it was Ginji who attacked you?" Kadsuki cut in.  
  
"No, it wasn't Ginji. It was Raitei." Ban replied. "Which remids me, I didn't give you permission to turn into Raitei!"  
  
"Hey Snake-man! Ginji was with us. We just found you here. You were probably just dreaming again." Shido pointed out with a smirk.  
  
"Shut up, Monkey-trainer. And no, it wasn't a dream. Don't you think I'd know pain when I feel it?!"  
  
"Well, like he said, Ginji was with us. He couldn't have attacked you without us knowing it." Lady Poison said. All the bickering was starting to get on her nerves.  
  
"Not that we would've stopped him if we did." Beast Master muttered under his breath.  
  
"You have something to say, Monkey-trainer?"  
  
"What if I do, Snake-bastard?!"  
  
"Look, I don't have time for this. If you guys want to duke it out here, that's fine with me but do it on your own time!" Himiko cut in irritably.  
  
Seeing as the discussion was getting him nowhere, Ban decided to drop it. The group then walked back to the Honky Tonk, each absorbed in their own thoughts.  
  
"Damn I'm tired. Oi, Natsumi! Give me some coffee!" Ban ordered as soon as they got back to the cafe.  
  
Paul looked up from his paper but didn't bother to speak.  
  
"Natsumi! Didn't you hear me? I said coffee! Now!"  
  
His favorite mug was placed in front of him and was filled with freshly brewed coffee.  
  
"Here's you coffee, sir. Sorry for the delay."  
  
"It's about time. Where were y--"  
  
Ban stopped in mid-sentence as he saw the girl that had just served his coffee. She wasn't Natsumi. Her hair was held back in a ponytail and the cafe uniform replaced her white kimono. The new clothes and hairstyle made her look younger than when Ban saw her before but he recognized her just the same.  
  
Puzzled by the shock that registered in Ban's face, Paul decided to explain.  
  
"She's Natsumi's schoolmate. I hired her this morning because Natsumi needs some time off to concentrate on her studies."  
  
"Hello, I'm Hideko. I've heard a lot of interesting stories about you."  
  
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Weee, longest chapter evah!! ...umm...what do you think of Hideko-chan? I think she's.....ok....Don't worry, this isn't a crazy/cheesy self-insertion fic... I think...R&R please...'  
  
P.S. And please read the next chapter, too... 


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